Page 14 of The Physician's Barbarian
From the shit-eating grin on his face when I was finally seated, that wasn’t entirely true. He thought it was funny. Brat.
He kept talking, moving my hands to the mane and putting pressure on my knees and heels as he guided the horse forward.I figured out he was giving me a riding lesson, but given how we didn’t speak the same language, I wasn’t sure how much I was actually learning.
Once he felt I was comfortable, he called over another horse, leaping onto the animal’s back like it was effortless. He moved to my side, his leg brushing mine as he pointed the direction he wanted to go.
Thankfully, I had some riding experience, so I fell into a steady pace beside Godr’s horse as we walked around the fenced area. Godr looked pleased, beaming at me, and his tone was full of praise, even if I couldn’t understand him.
It’d only been a day, but I was warming to the kind barbarian who took care of me. The earnest way he spoke with me despite our language barrier, and the ever-present smile on his face made it a lot easier for me to relax. Sebastian would like him. He was a jokester like Godr, and I got the feeling those two would get along like best buddies.
I was starting to believe that the rumors really had nothing to do with the people here. The only part I struggled with was what was expected at night. It honestly didn’t make sense to me. They were kind, relaxed, and if they were all like Godr, the clan was basically made up of big cinnamon rolls. Demanding sex was so far the opposite of that I couldn’t wrap my head around it. What was I missing?
I didn’t have much time to dwell on it before our ride was over and Godr was helping me off the horse’s back, still chattering away. He was also constantly moving, going from helping me to checking on the horses, then back to my side with a brush in his hand to show me how to care for them. I listened because he was so happy it was hard to ignore. I was nodding along when another barbarian joined us, shooting me a scathing look before giving his full attention to Godr. He battedhis eyelashes, moving subtly until he managed to push his way between us.
To my surprise, Godr scowled at the man and stepped around him, taking my elbow and pulling me to his side. And despite my complete lack of interest in males, the possessive gesture gave me butterflies. What the hell?
Ten
GODR
Ambrose seemed to grow more and more tense as the night wore on. Even the horses were aware of it, as they gave him more space to process his feelings. I wished I could speak with him easier. Perhaps I would need to request Finn’s assistance outside of his normal teaching hour. It was what Einar did with his shy bondmate. He accepted trades for the special lessons, though, and I didn’t have anything to trade as of now. Taking care of Rath’s stallion was my job, and Finn was too little to have his own. He preferred to ride with his bondmate. Maybe I could sweet-talk Finn into it. He loved me. He would take care of my tribute for me.
After spending time with the horses, we ate together in my tent as we had the night before. It wasn’t until I noticed how hard he was working to avoid looking at the bed that I considered his needs. Was it tension I was picking up on? Or need? He’d been uneasy asking for my touch the night prior. Perhaps he was unsure how to tell me?
I waited until he was done eating before putting a hand on his knee, asking, “What do you need? You have only to ask.”
He didn’t understand my words, I knew this, but he seemed to understand my intentions. He took a deep breath, and his hands trembled as he set aside his bowl and crawled over to the bed. Want thrummed a steady beat in my blood, but I held myself back. I did not wish to overwhelm him. He was new to this and shy because of it. I would go at whatever pace he was comfortable.
I laid down beside him, my hands tucked behind my head to show him he was in charge of where this went. Even if he wanted to just cuddle, I would be happy to do it. Verus told me Patrick loved cuddles and kisses when he first started asking for intimacy. A simple thing for some meant a great deal to those who had lived a lifetime being unable to experience it.
Unlike the night before, the lamp was lit this time. Ambrose seemed anxious because of it, avoiding looking at me directly. I didn’t want him to be nervous, so I stopped him when he reached for my trousers, instead sinking my hands into his hair and drawing him closer, guiding his lips to mine. The first press of his lips was tentative, uncertain. It took a few moments of just that for him to relax into it enough for me to introduce tongue. He tensed again when I brushed it along his bottom lip in quiet inquiry, his fingers curling against my chest as he parted his lips.
He’d taken me by surprise the night before with his brazenness, so I hadn’t had a chance to explore his mouth. His lips were soft and plush, perfect for nibbling on. I did so to ease him into it, only brushing my tongue along his when he gasped and pressed in closer to me. I released one hand from his hair, rolling onto my side and pulling him closer so our bodies aligned better. I could feel him thickening against me, and my body responded in kind, hardening in my legwear. The greedy part of me wanted to pull our clothes off and feel his skin on mine,but I held myself back. I thought of Ambrose’s introduction to intimacy like training a young stallion. I could not rush into a gallop and hope he reacted well. I had to ease him into it. No matter how badly I wanted more.
I groaned into his mouth when he began to dominate the kiss, his tongue tangling with mine in a hot glide. My hips moved without my say so, grinding against his. His hips jerked, like he wanted to grind back but was uncertain of himself. I encouraged him with a hand on his lower back, rocking my hips against his.
It was delicious torment, and I could only take so much before I risked coming in my legwear. I didn’t look forward to that clean up, so instead, I tried undressing us, breaking the kiss long enough to pull his tunic over his head.
He seemed to get nervous all over again once the kiss was broken. It was sexy that I could distract him enough to enjoy himself with just a kiss. I set to doing so again, kissing him breathless until we were rubbing against each other again, and I felt close to oblivion. Legwear needed to come off before we made a mess.
Ambrose took hold of my cock the moment I shimmied out of my pants, his grip tight enough to make me gasp against his lips. Like before, he seemed determined to distract me, but I forced myself to focus long enough to untie his trousers and reach inside to pull out his cock.
“Ambrose,” I moaned, arching against him as his hand sped up. The man had wicked hands.
His eyes were squeezed shut when I finally caught my breath long enough to look at him. The expression wasn’t what I’d hoped for from him. He was too nervous to truly enjoy himself, and he was beginning to soften in my hand because of it.
Releasing him, I grasped his wrist to stop him. If I didn’t, he’d make me come before I could settle him enough to allowhim to enjoy himself. His eyes flew open in surprise, and a hint of fear made my chest tighten painfully.
“Relax, rokhandar. You are safe here.”
I felt the need to remind him, knowing he came from a place where males together were abhorred. He was safe with me. So long as he was under my care, I would protect him.
Dark brown eyes searched mine behind smudged glasses. I gently pulled them off, setting them aside where they wouldn’t be damaged. Running my fingers through his short locks, I continued to try and ease his fears.
“You are safe to explore as you wish. You will not face judgment from me.” To show him I was sincere, I took his hand and kissed his palm before putting it on my chest.
His brows furrowed, and he shook his head slightly, saying something in the common tongue I had no hope of understanding. I considered that perhaps it would be best for us to stop until he was more comfortable and we could communicate better, but I would need to step out to deal with my current… situation first. I didn’t think it would go away on its own. But I didn't want to leave and make him think I was angry with him.
While I was still considering my options, a flash of some emotion crossed his face and he leaned in again, capturing my lips. His kisses were more forceful now, like he was determined to face his fear and conquer it. I was proud of his bravery and sought to encourage him, submitting to his demanding kiss and moaning into his mouth.
